


Handicraft Holiday

by trebleklef



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Fluff, Gift Exchange, M/M, Other, its cute okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-03 22:44:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17292809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trebleklef/pseuds/trebleklef
Summary: A gift exchange for the Leo Trio.





	Handicraft Holiday

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so this fic is actually part of the Niles Holiday Exchange! My partner was @starthiefsky on twitter! She drew me a really cute Leoniles smooch and i hope that this fic is good enough OTL...
> 
> Also some author's notes:  
> Post Revelation Timeline  
> Corrin uses They/Them  
> Odin, Laslow, Selena stuck around for a while.

Leo would admit that he was terrible at getting gifts for his retainers. Niles was one of the hardest people to shop for as he would make a double entendre out of just about anything he received. He was also always snooping around and hiding in Leo’s shadow. He was always _too_ good at his job for Leo’s liking. Even buying things for his birthday was a mess in itself, but the winter festival was just around the corner and Leo knew he was running out of time to get something.

Odin was easy to buy for. He could simply make a tome for him and put jewels all over the cover, it wasn’t a hard task. Then again, Odin was just about happy with anything that Leo gave him. He could give the rambunctious mage a singular piece of paper with a shoddy doodle on it and Odin would be incredibly happy. Niles was the same way… but he was more finicky. It was like living with a cat and a dog.

Leo had done his best to keep Niles preoccupied with other tasks so that he could sneak out to the market to try and find something nice for his retainers. Odin usually followed Leo around like a puppy, but he certainly took orders like a dog and listened to Leo despite the order. This was evident from the moment the two of them met. Leo kept looking over his shoulder to see if he could see Odin or Niles following him around in the underground market. It wasn’t hard to spot them if they were there, seeing as Niles had snow white hair and Odin was dressed in the most obnoxious colour known to man.

Elise had joined him, giving flowers that she had pressed to many of the people in the market that she had known quite well over the years. She was busy running about, while Leo was looking at the many stalls that contained hand made crafts. Some were made from jewels primarily found in Nohr, while others had special foods that Leo had only ever seen in cookbooks that had been thrown about in the library. He was amazed by everything he saw. That only made getting gifts harder.

“Oh so this is what you have been doing,”

Leo yelped, managing to toss his list into the air. He felt incredibly embarrassed at the fact that he didn’t notice that Niles had snuck up behind him.

“Niles! What happened to what I told you to do earlier?!” Leo yelled, trying to grab his list off the ground. Niles eventually grabbed it from him and took a good look at what had been written.

“Shopping for the winter festival?” Niles asked, giving Leo a smirk.

“It was supposed to be a surprise!” Leo yelled, trying to grab the list from Niles. Niles held it high above Leo’s head, taking advantage of the height between them.

“Niles give me the list!” he continued to yell, jumping to try and grab the list from Niles only to be met with him raising the list as he came close to grabbing it.

“Trying to shop for me, huh?” Niles asked, leaning in close to Leo, still holding the list out of his reach.

“Too close…” Leo muttered, pushing his retainer away.

“Oh come on… Why don’t we pretend this piece of paper is mistletoe?” Niles teased, inching closer to Leo’s face again.

“You. Are. Married. Niles,” Leo replied, annunciating each word.

“So, the pressure isn’t as great, am I right?” Niles asked, handing Leo the list. Leo snatched it away from Niles and stuffed it into his pocket.

“There’s still pressure…” Leo trailed off. “I always struggle with getting you gifts for the winter festival.”

“Well I’ll tell you what,” Niles said, looking around the market. “How about don’t worry about me, because Odin’s got me covered. Just worry about getting something for him. There’s a reason for this.”

“Wait what are you talking about?” Leo asked, eyeing Niles suspiciously.

“It was Odin’s idea. He knows how much you mentally punish yourself over the holidays to, as he put it, ‘get things right’ for us. So, he decided to just do a circle gift exchange,” Niles explained. “So, he’s getting a gift for me, I’m getting a gift for you and you’re going to get a gift for Odin. Got it?”

“Niles I’m a little nervous as to what you’d plan to get me,” Leo admitted, knowing what kind of shenanigans he could get into.

“Don’t worry too much,” Niles said, implying a wink in Leo’s direction. Leo could tell he was being cheeky. There was just a certain way that Niles would tilt his head to imply some kind of double entendre. Leo could only feel somewhat anxious as to what Niles had planned.

“Alright alright… You did make my day somewhat easier after all,” Leo sighed, pulling his crumpled list out of his pocket. “I’ll focus on Odin and you focus on me then.”

“Yeah I know exactly what to get you,” Niles said, his voice smooth. “Don’t worry about it. It won’t be something… scandalous.”

*             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *            

“Corrin I need your help,” Niles admitted, throwing himself onto Corrin’s bed.

“Can’t figure out what to get Leo for the winter festival?” Corrin asked, folding a piece of elegant fabric around a small box.

“I’m glad you’re here for the winter festival,” Niles said, feeling defeated as Corrin wrapped the Christmas presents that they had bought for their Nohrian siblings.

“Well I agreed that I would stay here for the winter festival, and I visit Hoshido for the new year festival in a week,” Corrin said, humming to themselves as they tied ribbons around the small packages.

“What do you suggest I get for Leo then?” Niles asked, sounding slightly anxious about the answer.

“Well… since you’re good at tracking stuff down, why not try and get him a first edition of one of his favourite books?” Corrin suggested, soon showing him what they had gotten for their younger brother. “I found this flawless ruby in one of the mines here in the Astral Plain. I smoothed it out to form an orb and I thought it was really neat. I know he doesn’t have much use for paperweights, but he might appreciate it.”

“Corrin… that’s really thoughtful though,” Niles replied, taking a good look at the small ruby sphere in Corrin’s hand. “Ugh and he complains that _I’m_ hard to buy for…”

“Well… you are,” Corrin snorted, placing the sphere into an ornate box. “I still haven’t gotten your present for the winter festival because I have no idea what to get for you.”

Niles hugged Corrin from behind and nuzzled their cheek. “You’re enough of a present for me.”

“Allow me to wrap myself in a ribbon for you then,” Corrin replied, snickering as they pulled an additional ribbon from the desk drawer and proceeded to wrap it around their wrist. Niles couldn’t help but laugh and place a few kisses along Corrin’s jawline. “I wouldn’t suggest giving yourself to Leo though,” Corrin continued, turning to kiss him properly. “You’re mine after all.”

“Damn there goes my idea,” Niles said in joking disappointment. “I still don’t know what to do though… Forge a decorative dagger? Give him a leather-bound notebook? There’s too many options and almost none at the same time.”

“What about a quill?” Corrin suggested, pointing at the one he had on his own desk. The feather had come from a kinshi that Sakura had become friends with. “Your arrows are really unique, use the end of one of those and make a nice quill.”

“Corrin you’re a genius!” Niles yelped, squeezing his partner tight. “A quill and a notebook is something he’d like and use!”

Niles then ran out the door a scarf and a small pouch of money in hand. Corrin couldn’t help but laugh to themselves.

*             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *            

“I hate how cold it gets during the winter festival,” Odin said, covering himself with both arms.

“I did tell you to wear a sweater or at least some woolen clothes,” Leo mused, smirking to himself. “Do you want to borrow my cloak?”

“No no! You must remain warm my lord!” Odin yelled rather dramatically. “I must be resilient!”

“Well I must say you are quite… _perky_ ,” Niles teased, poking Odin’s chest. Odin yelped and covered himself again. Leo couldn’t help but laugh at the two of them interacting with eachother.

“Why don’t we head inside the library? Its warm in there,” Leo suggested, holding a small box in his hands, implying to start the gift exchange.

“Excellent idea milord!” Odin yelped, running for the door to the main foyer.

“I guess you really convinced him,” Niles laughed and followed him.

“Milord hurry up! I can’t feel my fingers!” Odin yelped, waving Leo down.

Once the three of them reached the library, Odin started the fire and Niles sat down at the oak table. While the two mages were distracted, Niles pulled out the small package he had wrapped in brown paper rather plainly that he had hidden under his cloak. He was somewhat worried that Leo wouldn’t like his gift, and it ate at him a little bit.

“Alright fire is going,” Leo muttered, taking off his cloak and scarf. Odin stayed by the fire for a while, while the other got themselves comfortable in the library. Leo placed the small box on the table alongside Niles’ present and he was taken aback by how ornate the box was. It was covered in gold leaf and deep purple in colour. Leo was excellent at giving gifts despite how much he said he wasn’t. Soon enough, when Odin was warm enough, he joined them at the table and placed a large package on the table. Niles felt even more anxious about what he got Leo as he saw the giant package from Odin.

“Alright who’s going first!?” Odin yelled in excitement, looking at both Leo and Niles was intense excitement, much akin to a child on the eve of the winter festival.

“I guess… I’ll go first,” Niles said, sliding his own package for Leo across to him, and sliding the one from Odin towards him. Leo followed suit and slid the small box over to Odin. His eyes lit up when he saw the box.

Niles ripped the paper off the oddly shaped package to find a woolen cloak inside with matching gloves. It was incredibly soft and warm and he couldn’t help but look over at Odin with shock. “Where did you even find this?”

“Oh I made it,” Odin smiled. “I know it gets cold and I thought that something soft was in order.”

“Aww man. Odin that’s really kind of you,” Niles said, giving him a smile. “You big goofball.”

Odin smiled so brightly at Niles’ reaction that he could have sworn Odin was emanating light.

“Okay I suppose I should see what Lord Leo got for me,” Odin said, delicately taking the box into his hands. He lifted the lid with featherlike touches, almost as if the box would fall apart. Eventually he couldn’t contain his excitement anymore and took the lid off. He could barely contain himself as he took the object out of the box. It was a ring with a large topaz stone. Odin’s eyes lit up and he put it on his middle finger immediately.

“Milord this is beautiful!!!” He yelled emphatically.

“I actually crafted it myself. It was very difficult to mold hot metal into a small circle… I’m used to making larger metal works,” Leo explained, showing off a couple of burns on his hands. Niles couldn’t help but shoot Leo a look.

“I also thought topaz would be great too because it’s the stone that is associated with magic,” Leo said, hiding his hands after the look from Niles.

“Milord this is too much! I have been blessed on this day!” Odin said, standing up from his chair in awe.

“Alright I suppose its my turn now,” Leo said, taking hold of the small package in front of him. Niles couldn’t help but feel his heart beat in his throat as Leo tore gently at the brown paper. His anxieties eased when he saw the look of wonder on Leo’s face.

“Niles this is-“ Leo took hold of the decorative quill inside the package. He knew that it was made from one of Niles’ arrows. The feathers were incredibly unique to him alone. It was much more like a pen with the metal nib on the end of it, and the fact that the arrow itself was much thicker than any other quill he’d ever had. “Niles this is way too nice for me to actually use.”

“You really think so?” Niles asked, shocked from Leo’s reaction and how he completely ignored the leather-bound notebook alongside it.

“Its from one of your arrows,” Leo said, putting a hand to his face. “Niles I’ll honestly treasure this forever.”

“I really mean that much to you?” Niles asked.

“Of course, you do! Don’t be ridiculous!” Leo said, placing the pen gently on the table. “This is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever received.”

“You mean that artifact I found wasn’t great?!” Odin yelled in jest.

“Gods Odin,” Leo laughed. “That was incredible too. Anything that you two give to me means the world.”

“I’m glad you like it, I was really worried it wasn’t good enough,” Niles admitted meekly.

“You made this for me Niles,” Leo said, picking up the pen gently. “It means the world.”

“I guess there was a theme here after all,” Niles mused. “Everything was handmade. Well minus the journal.”

“I’d be incredibly surprised if you hand stitched a saddle stitched journal using this kind of leather. Its incredibly difficult,” Leo admitted.

“I could take on the challenge!” Odin said while flexing.

“Its not a matter of strength my goodness,” Leo laughed to himself.

“Now then,” Niles said, standing up. “I wouldn’t mind putting this gear on and seeing the festivities outside. I heard that your brother managed to convince Lord Ryoma to give him some fire works for the festival.”

“Oh! I’ve never seen fireworks before,” Odin said, still maintaining his child like wonder.

“Ahem,” Leo cleared his throat and gave Odin a look. “You’re going to need to cover yourself up though. The risk of frostbite gets higher this late.”

“Oh, right that’s a good idea milord,” Odin said to himself before rushing out of the library to grab his outdoor clothes.

Niles smirked as he watched Odin dash out the door. He was then caught off guard by Leo giving Niles a kiss on the cheek. It was enough to cause him to startle quite a bit and drop a glove.

“Leo!” Niles yelled, dropping the honorific by accident.

“You deserved that what can I say?” Leo said with a smirk. “Also, there’s some mistletoe right above the table.”

Niles looked up, then smiled.

“That there is.”


End file.
